Stand and tilting support for bottles and the like



Se t. 29, 1964 K. E. LARKIN 3,150,352

sum: ANDTILTING SUPPORT FOR BOTTLES AND THE LIKE Filed March 1, 1962 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR KENNETH E. LARK/N MMA:

PATENT AGENT Sept. 29, 1964 K. E. .LARKIN 3,150,352

STAND AND TILTING SUPPORT FOR BOTTLES AND THE LIKE Filed March 1, 1962 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR KENNETH E. LARKIN by: 495.7% p4 PAIENT AGENT p 1964 K. E. LARKIN 3,150,852:

STAND AND TILTING SUPPORT FOR BOTTLES AND THE LIKE Filed March 1, 1962 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR KENNETH E. LARK/N 1 7 4 ,4 z. PATENT AGE United shes? O 35 93 STAND AND TILTINGSUPPORT FOR BOTTLES AND THE LIKE Kenneth E. Larlrin, 283 Inglewood Drive, Toronto 7, Ontario, Canada Filed Mar. 1, 1962, Ser. No. 176,597 14 Claims. (Cl, 248-141) This invention relates to new and useful improvements in holders or supports for bottles, jars, or like vessels for storing pourable materials.

The invention is directed more particularly to a pouring stand formed of Wire for supporting large milk bottles, in which the stand is formed with a pair of upright frame portions and a separable suspension cradle for holding or supporting a bottle or like vessel is suspended revolubly by trunnions seating in journals formed in the stand, the trunnions and journals being provided with means to axially restrain the vessel and limit stop means so that the vessel may be readily tilted in either direction to predetermined limits for pouring.

Embodiments of the invention are characterized by wire forms shaped in such a manner that a suspension cradle member is provided with a girdling ring carrying two opposed pairs of laterally projecting parallel trunnions or pivot axles spaced horizontally apart in each pair and engaged in partial journals formed as bends in the upright portions of the stand, so that all four trunnions or axles are seated in the journals when the vessel is suspended normally, and so that the vessel tilts upon rotation about a horizontal axis in one of the trunnions or axles of each pair, while retaining arcs joining the ends of each pair of trunnions or axles prevent lateral displacement of the cradle even under high pour angles. Moreover the base or stand is formed with inclined stop members to engage a non-seated trunnion or axle to limit bottle rotation under normal application of tilting force.

Embodiments of the invention are further characterized by stability and freedom to rotate a bottle or the like through arcs as great as about 140 degrees in either direction from a normal suspended position.

It is characteristic of pouring stands according to the invention that they are simple to construct, durable and strong, low in cost, easily cleaned, and their components may be closely stacked for economical storage and shipping.

The invention may be the better understood by study of the following specification and accompanying drawings, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a side elevational view of a holder embodying the invention, showing a milk bottle of 120 fluid ounce size suspended in upright rest position;

FIGURE 2 is a similar view showing the bottle tilted to a high pour angle;

FIGURE 3 is an elevational view in enlarged vertical section taken on line 3-3 of FIGURE 1 through a trunnion of the suspension cradle;

FIGURE 4 is a top view of the device of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 5 is a perspective view showing the device of FIGURE 1 in separated assembly relationship of parts;

FIGURE 6 is a perspective view of an alternative form of stand;

FIGURE 7 is a perspective view of an alternative form of suspension cradle;

FIGURE 8 is a perspective view of yet another form of stand;

FIGURE 9 is a perspective view of a stackable braced stand similar to that of FIGURE 5; and,

FIGURE 10 shows a modification of part of the device of FIGURE 1 to permit stacking.

ice

Referring to the drawing, a large glass bottle 10 is shown in FIGURES 1, 2, 4 and 5 containing a liquid 11 and suspended in vertically erect position. The bottle is held in a suspension cradle formed of stiif wire or rod and generally designated 12, supported and restrained therein in a stirrup structure comprising transverse wire bottom members 13 and angled side members 14 depending from the girdling band or ring 15. A stand designated generally by 16 comprises a continuous length of stiff wire or rod bent to form two pairs of upright sides 17 whereof the lower ends of the wire or rod elements are connected by transverse bottom stringers 18, and the upper ends of the wire or rod elements on the same side are joined to the outer ends of like W-shaped trunnion-journalling stand portions 19. Each trunnion-journalling portion has a pair of downwardly concave arcuate portions 20, 21 forming seats for trunnions or axles 22, 23 carried by girdling ring 15, as will be described more fully hereinafter.

Sloping portions 24, 25 forming the outer limbs of the W-shaped portion respectively incline upwardly and outwardly from the trunnion seats, each limb having a straight length somewhat greater than the spacing between the seats. The outer limbs of the W may be inclined with respect to the horizontal, at an .angle ranging from about up to about 80 degrees, depending on the form of the bottle or vessel, and particularly on the size and form of its pouring opening.

The curved portion 26 between the trunnion seats, which portion corresponds to the junction of the inner limbs of the W-shaped stand portion, has the form of an inverted U, whose leg dimensions are chosen so that an are 27 swung from either seat with a radius distance equal to the spacing between centers of curvature of the seats, passes clear of the portion 26. The exact form of the inner limbs of the W is not critical, and their junction may be only slightly elevated with respect to the troughs 20, 21.

In the preferred form of suspension cradle 12, girdling ring 15 is bent out horizontally at right angles on two opposite sides to form pairs of trunnions or short axles 22, 23, spaced apart in each pair by the distance between centers of curvature of the seats 20, 21. The outer ends of the trunnions or axles are connected by a down-curving loop portion 28 bent in a vertical plane. The respective trunnions or axles 22 are aligned, as are the trunnions or axles 23, and are symmetrically disposed with respect to a bisecting vertical plane, so that under the force of gravity the cradle tends to rest with all four trunnions or axles engaging their seats in the stand when the latter itself rests on a level plane.

In order to pour out some or all of the liquid 11, the bottle is tilted to either side from its normal vertical rest position as may be convenient, whereupon one trunnion or axle on each side of the cradle is lifted out of its seat, for example that trunnion or axle designated 22 when the bottle is tilted to the right as shown in FIGURE 2. As the bottle is tilted further, the free trunnion or axle will swing around as the cradle rotates about an axis in trunnion or axle 23, describing the arcuate path 27, and eventually coming into contact with the sloping portion 25. In this position substantially the major part of the pourable contents will have been poured out. The cradle remains stably supported since the restraining loops 28 lie adjacent and outwardly of stand portion 26. Further rotation of the bottle to depress the pouring mouth further downward may be elfected by pressing down upon the neck to cause the trunnions or axles 23 to slide to the left up the outside of intermediate portion 26, while trunnion or axle 22 remains engaged along some part of sloping portion 25. For conventional milk bottles virtually all of the liquid will flow out when the bottle has been rotated about 135 from the normal vertical rest position.

When the neck is allowed to swing up again under the restoring force of gravity, the trunnions or axles 23 again slide into place in seats 21, and the empty bottle will come to rest in normal vertical position with all trunnions or axles engaging their seats.

Referring to FIGURE 5, a conventional milk bottle of generally square cross-section containing fluid milk 11 is lifted and set into the opening 29 in cradle 12, which is shaped to engage the glass side walls under light pressure to ensure frictional retention therewith. The assembled bottle 10 and cradle 12 may be handled as a unit and stored under refrigeration until required. To assemble the pouring stand the cradle is simply set upon the stand 16 by lowering the bottle with the cradle in place with trunnions or axles 22, 23 registered over the respective seats 20, 21.

In an alternative form of stand as shown in FIGURE 6, the trunnion-journalling members 19 are supported from one end only, and a pair ofparallel inclined struts or columns 17 rise from the ends of straight horizontal U-legs or a U-shaped base 30. Such structure has the advantage it can be formed from one piece of wire or rod with no welds or joints, and provides for a greater flexing under load as when thecradle is roughly handled V in setting upon the stand.

as shown in embodiments described hereinabove, with the stirrup turned at 90 so that the transverse bottom members 13 lie parallel with the trunnions or axles 22, 23. The latter are formed as outwardly bent right angle portions terminating the upper ends of side members 14 of the stirrup, and are themselves joined by curved vertical half-loops or bows 28 connecting the outer ends of the trunnions or axles. Members 14 are suitably afiixed as by welding to the girdling ring 15, the latter preferably being attached to the apex of the triangle formed by respective U-legs of the stirrup. The ring may comprise a simple closed ring formed of a length of wire or rod having its ends butt-welded, bent to form four'straight sides with rounded corners conforming to the bottle cross-section. The ring may lie wholly inside of the stirrup, or may have its two joining sides in the planes of the triangles, or as in FIGURE 10. In the latter modification the stirrup legs 14 are disposed in planes perpendicular to the plane of the girdling ring 15, and together with the bottom members 13 lie wholly inside of the vertical projection of ring 15. The portions 33 of member 15, which are disposed on opposite sides of the bottle, do not contact the wall of vessel in, whereas the remaining two sides are in sliding contact therewith. When the ring lies wholly outside of the stirrup structure, the cradle so formed is stackable vertically, thereby permitting economies of warehousing and shipping to be gained.

A one-piece wire or rod stand as shown in FIGURE 8 has a single pair of oppositely inclined side struts or columns 17 respectively supporting trunnion-journalling members 19, the lower ends of the struts or columns being joined with the ends of Z-shaped horizontal wire base portion 31.

For convenience of handling and storing large numbers of stands, a construction which permits close stacking is provided as shown in FIGURE 9. The stand is formed similarly to the form shown with FIGURES 1-5, with the addition of horizontal brace rods or wires 32 on each side connected as by welding to struts 17, intermediate the height of the upright portion of the stand. The next stand above in the stack, indicated by dashed outline, and any succeeding stands in the stack (not shown) will lie with struts 17' in respective common vertical planes, and braces 32' will lie vertically above braces 32 of the bottom stand. Each brace 32' engages struts 17 and 17 to prevent lateral movement, permitting stacks of twenty or more units to be readily built and moved about.

Various surface finishes such as chrome or nickel plating, and coatings having thermoplastic or thermosetting types of resin constituents may be applied to the surfaces of carrier and stand to improve appearance, to aid in cleaning, or to reduce noise in handling and use. It is contemplated that the lower part of each stand may be surface treated so as to increase frictional stability upon a table.

While the description has referred particularly to a bottle formed with two pairs of side walls at right angles, it will be understood that the cross-section of the cradle 12 may be modified to conform to round, oval, or any other cross section of bottle or vessel having its pouring opening disposed above its center of gravity.

Moreover, Wire or rod of any cross-section may be used provided only that the trunnion portions are rounded to cylindric form, and the trunnion seats are suitably smooth.

I claim:

1. A pouring stand comprising a cradle for supporting a container, and a stand for suspending the cradle for tilting therein, wherein the cradle comprises a wire ring girdling the container and formed with two opposed parallel trunnion pairs connected to and extending from opposite sides of the ring, means integrally connecting the outer ends of the trunnion pairs and forming axial restraint means in a vertical plane, and wherein said stand comprises a base and a pair of spaced apart upright wire frames terminating at their upper ends in a W-shaped trunnion-seating portion, the troughs of the W's being spaced to receive respective trunnion pairs and the inner limbs of the W having a length such that the cradle may rotate about an axis in one of said trunnions in either trough, and the outer limbs of the W having a length greater than the spacing of the pair of trunnions to provide limit stops.

2. A pouring stand as claimed in claim 1 wherein the angle of inclination of the outer limbs of the W-shaped trunnion seating portion ranges from about 45 to about from the horizontal.

3. A pouring stand as claimed in claim 2 wherein the cradle has U-shaped stirrup means connected in depending relation from the girdling ring with the horizontal spans of each U in support relation with the container.

4. A pouring stand as claimed in claim 3 wherein the stirrup comprises a pair of U-shaped wire members having the upper ends of the U-legs integral with the inner ends of the trunnions and the U-legs of opposed U-members are inclined equally and oppositely with respect to the vertical.

5. A pouring stand as claimed in claim 3 wherein the stirrup comprises an endless wire loop folded to form a like pair of U-members whereof the upper ends of the U-legs of one of said U-members are integrally joined with the upper ends of the legs of the other U-member and eachis inclined equally and oppositely with respect to a vertical plane transverse to the trunnions, each joint being also connected with the girding ring.

6. A pouring stand as claimed in claim 4 wherein the girdling ring comprises a pair of opposed sides spaced apart to pass corresponding side walls of the container and a second pair of parallel opposed sides at right angles to the first pair connected with the upper ends of the U-legs of the stirrup externally of the Us, said U-legs being spaced to pass other side walls of the container.

7. A pouring stand as claimed in claim 1 wherein the girdling ring is formed with four sides at right angles and two opposed sides are formed intermediate their lengths with a pair of outwardly extending parallel trunnions having their outer ends joined by a downward curving how.

8. A pouring stand as claimed in claim 5 wherein the said joints lie in the plane of the girdling member, the latter lying externally of the U-legs.

9. A pouring stand as claimed in claim 1 wherein said stand comprises a wire loop formed to produce a pair of like U-rnembers inclined to the vertical and having their said members being connected to form a horizontal base.

11. A pouring stand as claimed in claim 10 wherein the inclinations of said columns are opposite and their lower ends are joined with said base at diagonally opposite corners.

12. A pouring stand as claimed in claim 9 wherein each upright has a horizontal bracing member atfixed to the side of the upright intermediate the height thereof to form a stackable stand.

13. A pouring stand as claimed in claim 1 wherein the inner limbs of the W-shaped trunnion-seating portion are joined by an upwardly curved portion and have their lower ends joined with the outer limbs by downwardly curved portions to form said trunnion seats.

14. In a pouring stand for a container holding a pourable substance, a support having a base and a pair of upright members rising from the base, each upright member being integral with pivot bearing structure connected to the upper end of each member, said pivot bearing structure comprising vertical planar wire forms of W-shape whereof the outer limbs are inclined obliquely to the horizontal and the inner limbs are formed as inverted U-bends, the troughs of the W being arcuate downward to provide a pair of spaced apart trunnion pivot seats, having a spacing not greater than the length of an outer limb of the W and significantly greater than the length of an inner limb, a suspension cradle having a ring formed to girdle closely a container inserted therein, stirrup structure depending from and spanning said ring to support the base of the container, two pairs of parallel horizontal trunnion rods extending laterally outwardly from said ring, the rods of respective pairs being aligned and resting in said pivot seats, and a bow connecting the outer ends of the rods and depending below said ends in a plane parallel with the plane of an adjacent W.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 706,795 Betteridge Aug. 12, 1902 2,137,984 Rumore -a Mar. 10, 1938 2,745,616 Gomez May 15, 1956 FOREIGN PATENTS 639 Great Britain Ian. 13, 1891 161,966 Australia Dec. 10, 1953 

1. A POURING STAND COMPRISING A CRADLE FOR SUPPORTING A CONTAINER, AND A STAND FOR SUSPENDING THE CRADLE FOR TILTING THEREIN, WHEREIN THE CRADLE COMPRISES A WIRE RING GIRDLING THE CONTAINER AND FORMED WITH TWO OPPOSED PARALLEL TRUNNION PAIRS CONNECTED TO AND EXTENDING FROM OPPOSITE SIDES OF THE RING, MEANS INTEGRALLY CONNECTING THE OUTER ENDS OF THE TRUNNION PAIRS AND FORMING AXIAL RESTRAINT MEANS IN A VERTICAL PLANE, AND WHEREIN SAID STAND COMPRISES A BASE AND A PAIR OF SPACED APART UPRIGHT WIRE FRAMES TERMINATING AT THEIR UPPER ENDS IN A W-SHAPED TRUNNION-SEATING PORTION, THE TROUGHS OF THE W''S BEING SPACED TO RECEIVE RESPECTIVE TRUNNION PAIRS AND THE INNER LIMBS OF THE W HAVING A LENGTH SUCH THAT THE CRADLE MAY ROTATE ABOUT AN AXIS IN ONE OF SAID TRUNNIONS IN EITHER TROUGH, AND THE OUTER LIMBS OF THE W HAVING A LENGTH GREATER THAN THE SPACING OF THE PAIR OF TRUNNIONS TO PROVIDE LIMIT STOPS. 